The Philadelphia Eagles traded disgruntled cornerback Brandon Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the eve of this summer's training camp. Boykin was in a contract year, he wanted to get paid outside cornerback money, but the Eagles didn't think Boykin had the size that they were looking for at that position.
The Eagles initial plan was to replace Boykin with sixth-round draft pick JaCorey Shepherd. However, after today's events, the Eagles may have to look for Plan B to find their starting nickel cornerback position.
Shepherd was carted off the field at today's open practice at Lincoln Financial Field after suffering an apparent right knee injury. The former Kansas cornerback collided with running back Darren Sproles during the team's seven-on-seven drills.
After forcing Sproles out of bounds, Shepherd waited for trainers to attend to him. Thereafter, he was carted off of the field.
It is currently unclear as to when Shepherd will be ready to return to practice, and the fear is that Shepherd may have an ACL injury. If he is out for an extended period of time, the Eagles must plan accordingly to find a replacement.
First of all, Walter Thurmond has received the majority of first-team repetitions at the strong safety position. However, it is well known that Thurmond thrived playing nickelback for the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos in 2014.
Additionally, second-round draft pick Eric Rowe may be a viable option. He has the size, strength and quickness needed to cover both wide receivers and tight ends. With Nolan Carroll most likely starting at left cornerback, this can be Rowe's opportunity to thrive in Billy Davis' defensive scheme. As a second-round pick, big things are expected of Rowe early in his career.
Much like Rowe, sixth-round draft pick Randall Evans has experience playing both cornerback and safety. This can be an opportunity for Evans to make the Eagles 53-man roster. Evans receives high praise for his work at playing press coverage, which the Eagles like to play. On the other hand, he will need to improve on his tackling ability if he wants to earn major playing time with the Eagles.
Nonetheless, the mantra for any NFL team when a player goes down is "next man up." Chip Kelly embraces competition. With the injury to Shepherd, the Eagles secondary just got a bit more competitive.
Training camp is all about position battles, and it will interesting to see who ends up playing the nickel cornerback position by the time the Eagles have a showdown with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in week one of the regular season.
Michael Malia is a contributing intern for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Facebook (Michael Malia) or on Twitter @Michael_Malia.
